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No One Has to Suffer in Silence

April 1, 2018

As many of you know, I’m a licensed clinical social worker, and I started my journey in this field as a Child Protective Investigator – also known as a child abuse investigator or CPI. During my time in that roll, I witnessed first-hand the impact of abuse and neglect. Many times, those young abuse survivors had suffered in silence for days, weeks, months and sometimes years before their situation was ever reported to authorities. Those victims were told “let’s keep it a family secret.” But, as we know all too well, untreated trauma is not silent. It ALWAYS surfaces when a survivor least expects it.

Comparing my time as a CPI to my work now at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, I have discovered that there are many silent survivors in our community. Women and men who are sexually assaulted many times suffer in silence. Even though last year, our Corbett Trauma Sexual Assault Services staff responded to 360 sexual assaults, we know we only see a third of the sexual assault victims in our community. In other words, another 720 victims of sexual assault never came forward for help last year. They are still suffering in silence.

It is for these silent survivors that we acknowledge April as both Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month. It is a time when the community can come together to focus on these two very serious issues. April also provides the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay the opportunity to remind the community that we are a place where people don’t need to be a silent survivor. It is a safe place where silent survivors can tell their story, where they WILL be believed, and where they WILL find a gateway to help, hope, and healing.

So if you see a blue pinwheel or a teal ribbon around our community this month, please take a moment to reflect on all of our community’s silent survivors. Then, remember 2-1-1, because the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay is here, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to ensure that NO survivors have to face their crisis alone.

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